GSSP Funding and Costs
The GSSP is funded by various funding sources including Provost allocations, Contracts & Grants, and Private Funds. The GA stipend or Fellowship funding source determines who pays for the associated GSSP cost. This website provides information on the GSSP funding structure, Graduate Student Health Insurance costs, and other GSSP financial elements, including Fulbright Funding Guidance. For information regarding administration of GSSP process, refer to GSSP for DGP and GSC.
Who pays for GSSP?
The GA or Fellowship stipend funding source (project number/type of funds) determines “who pays” for GSSP benefits. The GSSP funding structure establishes the funding criteria for these costs. The Graduate School has developed a GSSP Funding Structure tool as general guidance to assist departments to readily determine who will pay for the GSSP benefits.
- If a student has a qualifying assistantship and a primary fellowship, the funding distribution will follow the primary fellowship.
- If a student’s stipend source is split (stipend distributed across more than one funding source/project), the GSSP cost will be distributed proportionately.
GSSP charges are posted based on the above funding structure once per semester following Census. Funding changes to the GA appointment or Fellowship post-census are not automatically captured by the system. Departments can notify the Graduate School through the GSSP JV Notification Form if there are stipend distribution changes after Census.
IMPORTANT: The Graduate School cannot take on additional GSSP charges after March 1 in a given year as we finalize funding ahead of fiscal year end.
GSSP Cost for Contracts & Grants
Contracts and Grants provide significant funding for GSSP costs. The GSSP funding structure stipulates the following cost share for GSSP tuition and health insurance costs:
| GSSP Benefit | Contracts & Grants (Ledger 5), Trust Funds (Ledger 6), Private funds (Ledger 7) | Graduate School |
|---|---|---|
| In-state Tuition | 100% | |
| Tuition Remission * | 25% | 75% |
| RA-TA Health Insurance | 100% |
Departments hiring GSSP eligible students on a contract or grant should expect GSSP charges to be posted to the project automatically. If a contract or grant cannot pay for a benefit, the department must make arrangements for payment from another source.
The Graduate School has developed a Funding Scenarios Google Sheet to help departments determine the total cost (stipend and GSSP) for a GSSP eligible doctoral/Master’s student.
For semester GSSP-related insurance and tuition journal information, please contact the GSSP Office (gradschool-gssp@ncsu.edu).
Graduate Student Health Insurance (GSHI) Benefit Rates
The following table provides current year and recent RA-TA health insurance benefit rates:
| Academic Year | Monthly Rate | Fall Rate (5 months) | Spring Rate (7 months)* | Annualized Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-2026 | $301.26 | $1,506.30 | $2,108.82 | $3615.12 |
| 2024-2025 | $278.95 | $1,394.75 | $1,952.65 | $3,347.40 |
| 2023-2024 | $257.75 | $1,288.75 | $1,804.25 | $3,093.00 |
For previous years refer to RA-TA Health Insurance Benefit Rate History
Students will not be dropped from the RA-TA health insurance after qualifying for this benefit at Census unless they specifically request to waive due to a qualifying life event.
Summer Health Insurance
| Student | RATA Plan Options |
|---|---|
| Continuing Students | Summer Health Insurance is included in Spring Insurance. Students should contact Graduate School if they do not need insurance for the summer. |
| Newly Admitted Students | Can be added to the RATA plan ONLY – if they actively meet ALL GSSP requirements for the Fall term and – they are funded on non-state funds Request summer health insurance for new graduate students. |
Fulbright Funding Guidance
NC State has a longstanding funding agreement with Fulbright:
- Fulbright must provide a stipend that meets the GSSP minimum requirement for the degree, in-state tuition, and health insurance;
- The Graduate School will then provide the full tuition remission award.
- Health insurance may be provided by Fulbright or students may be required to enroll in mandatory health insurance, depending on their country of sponsorship.
- If required to enroll in mandatory insurance, Fulbright students must select the “premium tier” due to their J visa requirement. Fulbright students are not enrolled in RA-TA health insurance.
If Fulbright is unable to provide the full in-state tuition, stipend, and health insurance, please contact the Graduate School (gradschool-GSSP@ncsu.edu) for funding guidance.
Below is an illustration our typical Fulbright funding model:
| Award | Fulbright | Graduate School | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Stipend | >$20,000 doctoral >$15,000 masters | – | *May Supplement |
| In-State Tuition | 100% | – | – |
| Tuition Remission | – | 100% | – |
| Mandatory Premium Health Insurance | 100% | – | – |
Resource Library
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Funding Scenarios Google Sheet | Resource to help departments determine the total cost for a GSSP eligible student |
| Research Administration Fiscal Compliance | Resource from Research & Compliance regarding fundamentals of fiscal compliance and cost principles contained in OMB Uniform Guidance |
| Graduate Tuition Rates | Graduate tuition and fees from Cashier’s Office |
| GA1 instructions | Departments can pay tuition and/or fees for a student directly through the GA1 process. This resource provides instructions on payment of tuition and/or fees through GA1 |
| Fall 2025 GSSP Timeline | Monthly timeline of dates significant to the GSSP process. |